Zambia Under-17 women’s national team suffered a 2–0 defeat in their second Group F match at the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Copper Princesses put up a spirited fight in the first half, holding the Asian champions to a goalless draw before conceding twice in the second period. Japan’s persistence paid off when Sunaga Hanoka struck in the 69th minute, and Fukushima Noa sealed the result from the penalty spot in the 80th minute.
This was the team’s fifth consecutive defeat at the tournament.
Reflecting on the loss, head coach Carol Kanyemba says her side’s performance against Japan showed improvement and growing confidence. Despite falling to a momentary lapse in concentration, Kanyemba admitted that it cost her side the game, but expressed satisfaction with their progression from the opening 2–1 defeat to Paraguay.
“It has results because we lost the game, but football being what it is, we’ve gained momentum from the first match,” she said. “The girls put in excellent effort. We lost concentration at a crucial moment and got too comfortable, which cost us. But this is a developmental stage — we’re growing as a team.”
The coach emphasized that defensive concentration and communication remain key focus areas going forward.
“The improvement from the first to the second game is very positive,” she noted. “The first goal was a team defensive lapse, while the second was a technical error from the goalkeeper. We’ll keep working on their focus and decision-making — they’re young and still developing.”
Zambia will face New Zealand on Saturday in their final group stage match. Kanyemba said her players remain optimistic and determined.
“We’re going to give it our all. The girls are positive and want to push until the last game,” she said.“If we get a good result, we’ll be grateful; if not, we’ll take lessons from it and keep improving.”
Zambia, which is yet to collect a point, will need a convincing win over New Zealand and favorable results elsewhere to stand any chance of advancing to the Round of 16.
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